{"title":"The Fairy Tale Physics Series [Digital - PDF and eBook]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe full Fairy Tale Physics series + the Physics Fables short story collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"newtons-laws-a-fairy-tale-pdf-ebook-worksheet","title":"Newton's Laws: A Fairy Tale [PDF + eBook + worksheet]","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 123-page illustrated fairy tale that teaches Newton's three laws of motion through the adventures of Kip, a curious boy with nothing but an apple to his name, and Newton, an eccentric wizard who keeps figuring out how the universe works by accident. Along with rival wizard Leibniz, the contested heir Prince Eric, and a guard captain very devoted to him, they discover the laws of motion together — and (mostly) save the kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by Sarah Allen, illustrated in full color by Sheila Stephanie Elizan. For ages 9–12.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat's inside the book\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFour chapters of fairy tale\u003c\/strong\u003e (roughly the first 75 pages), where Kip and Newton discover the three laws of motion in the wild — by tumbling over cliffs, picking up rocks on the road, arguing with rival wizard Leibniz, and climbing a tower that won't stop swaying in the wind.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\"A Note from the Librarian\" sidebars\u003c\/strong\u003e throughout the story that connect each plot moment to the real physics: Newton's three laws, friction, the normal force, weight vs. mass, velocity vs. acceleration, with brief tastes of entropy and calculus.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\"Try to Break the Law!\" hands-on experiments\u003c\/strong\u003e woven into the text — things kids can try with a rolling chair, a wall, a friend, a sock.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFive practice sections in the back:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eA worked free-body-diagram example told as a story (Newton's tippy tower)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eFive free-body-diagram problems to draw (unicorn, troll, pirate, dragon, dragon-in-dive)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eF=ma setup practice with friction\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eA creative writing prompt — \"you've been appointed the official bard of the land of fairy tale physics\" — write your own physics story about Newton's Second Law\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eRiddles in the Woods with the Trickster Fairy, on identifying third-law force pairs\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA vocabulary glossary\u003c\/strong\u003e at the end covering force, perpendicular, normal, weight, mass, velocity, and acceleration in plain language.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlus a bonus: Free Body Diagrams Worksheet (with answer key)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA separate illustrated worksheet designed around the most common misconceptions kids run into with free body diagrams. 20 problems total:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e15 qualitative scenarios (a book on a table, a chandelier, a hockey puck sliding, a sailboat speeding up, a squirrel on a branch, sliding across the floor in your socks…)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e5 \"make up a scenario to fit this diagram\" problems\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA full illustrated answer key\u003c\/strong\u003e with every force labeled\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGreat for reinforcing what the book teaches, or as a standalone for any kid learning Newton's laws.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eA note on answers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book itself doesn't have a traditional answer key — the practice problems are resolved within the story. For example, the Trickster Fairy walks you through whether each force pair is a third-law pair and why. The bonus worksheet does have a full separate answer key.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you'll get\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEPUB\u003c\/strong\u003e of the book (for Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and other e-readers)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDF\u003c\/strong\u003e of the book (for reading on any computer, tablet, or phone — or for printing)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDF worksheet\u003c\/strong\u003e with answer key\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDelivered by email immediately after purchase, plus available on your download page\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSarah Allen tutored math and physics for twenty years before becoming a full-time fantasy writer. She has a physics degree from the University of Washington (graduated with college and departmental honors) and a master's in Cognition and Learning from Columbia. Her goal is to write the sort of physics books she would have wanted as a kid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAges 9–12 · 123 pages · Illustrated in color\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Math with Sarah","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43742149247042,"sku":null,"price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/8395\/8338\/files\/1_18765e50-5665-4bab-bc0e-400b4c239ab5.jpg?v=1778707742"},{"product_id":"allora-and-the-puzzles-of-archimedes","title":"Allora and the Puzzles of Archimedes [PDF + eBook + Worksheets]","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 197-page fantasy novel that teaches friction, levers, pulleys, and number puzzles through the adventures of Allora, a young apprentice to Wizard Leibniz who accidentally turns off friction with a magical 2,000-year-old puzzle called the Ostomachion — and then has to fix the slippery, chaotic mess she's made. Along the way she works with Newton, Archimedes himself, a Fairy Queen, and a band of trolls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by Sarah Allen, illustrated in black and white by Marie Delwart. For ages 9–12.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat's inside the book\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFourteen chapters of fantasy adventure\u003c\/strong\u003e (roughly 185 pages) following Allora through a world where the laws of physics have been broken and need to be put back.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\"A Note from the Librarian\" sidebars\u003c\/strong\u003e woven throughout, connecting the magic to real physics and math: static and kinetic friction (and the equation f = μN), Newton's Third Law, levers and mechanical advantage, pulleys, and a glimpse of Archimedes' famous cylinder-vs-sphere discovery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHands-on suggestions\u003c\/strong\u003e embedded in the story — things kids can try with a spinny chair, their palms on a desk, or a real lever.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Ostomachion puzzle\u003c\/strong\u003e as a central plot device. (It's a real ancient puzzle attributed to Archimedes — sometimes called \"the first puzzle\" — and you can download a printable version free from my website to try yourself.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlus a bonus: Archimedes' Puzzle Book (28 pages)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA separate illustrated puzzle book with full answer key, designed to let kids practice what Allora learns:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLever puzzles\u003c\/strong\u003e — Which Way Will the Lever Tip? · Identify the Effort, Load, and Fulcrum · A Castle Demolition Puzzle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePulley puzzles\u003c\/strong\u003e — Understanding tension forces in single and compound pulley systems · \"Would this actually do anything???\" (figuring out which pulley contraptions provide mechanical advantage and which don't)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003eCertificate of Puzzle Mastery\u003c\/strong\u003e at the end for kids who make it through\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlus three additional worksheets (with answer keys)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesigned as a progression from intuition to calculation to puzzle-solving:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFriction Explorer\u003c\/strong\u003e — pairs with a free interactive friction simulator on my website. Kids predict, then drag a block around, then experiment with turning static and kinetic friction on and off to see what really happens. Conceptual, no calculations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCalculating Friction\u003c\/strong\u003e — works through the friction equation f = μN with characters from the book, including multi-step problems where the normal force changes (a hawk lifting a chair, pushing down on a broom).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Garden Riddles\u003c\/strong\u003e — integer puzzles based on Archimedes' Cattle of the Sun problem, introducing primes, squares, triangular numbers, and Diophantine equations through trolls, fairies, dwarves, and dragons. Includes the original Greek riddle as a bonus at the back for the very ambitious.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you'll get\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEPUB\u003c\/strong\u003e of the book (for Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and other e-readers)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDF\u003c\/strong\u003e of the book (for reading on any computer, tablet, or phone — or for printing)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDF\u003c\/strong\u003e of Archimedes' Puzzle Book, with answer key\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDFs\u003c\/strong\u003e of the Friction Explorer, Calculating Friction, and Flower Garden Riddles worksheets, with answer keys\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDelivered by email immediately after purchase, plus available on your download page\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePart of the Fairy Tale Physics series\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach book in the series is self-contained, so you can start anywhere. Allora's story stands on its own, though sharp-eyed readers may notice familiar faces (Newton and Leibniz, for instance, both make appearances).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSarah Allen tutored math and physics for twenty years before becoming a full-time fantasy writer. She has a physics degree from the University of Washington (graduated with college and departmental honors) and a master's in Cognition and Learning from Columbia. Her goal is to write the sort of physics books she would have wanted as a kid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAges 9–12 · 197-page novel · 28-page puzzle book · 3 worksheets · Black-and-white illustrations\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Math with Sarah","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43742324817986,"sku":null,"price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/8395\/8338\/files\/1_62446dc4-3fb6-4f21-86ce-9bfb54beb7f9.jpg?v=1778716264"},{"product_id":"light-a-fairy-tale","title":"Light: A Fairy Tale [PDF + eBook]","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen King John XV is crowned king of Amrath, no one is pleased — not the peasants throwing rotten vegetables, not his sensible steward Griselda, and not John himself, who would much rather be slaying dragons than governing. Then a mysterious sorceress slips into the throne room and hands him a candle, with a single warning: don't let it burn all the way down. John lights it anyway. Inside are the ghosts of five light mages — Albert Einstein, Snell, Thomas Young, Louis de Broglie, and James Clerk Maxwell — trapped by a witch and freeable only when the candle is fully burned. To free them without dying in the process, John has to become a light mage himself, learning to ride photons, refract through prisms, and pass through Young's double-slit experiment — while a rebellion gathers in the square below and a much older betrayal waits to be uncovered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by Sarah Allen and illustrated by Vladimir Djekic, with cover design by Vik Charlie. Ages 9–12.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat's inside the book\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eFour story chapters across 39 pages, with each of the trapped light mages introducing a different physics concept — Einstein on the speed of light, Snell on refraction, Young and de Broglie on the wave nature of light, and Maxwell on electromagnetic fields\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSeveral full-page color illustrations at pivotal story moments\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlus an extensive physics section\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the story, a dedicated physics section walks through the same concepts in clear, conversational prose. Diagrams illustrate each idea, and the actual equations are included for kids ready for algebra — though the author explicitly notes that the math can be skipped without losing the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe speed of light — including a \"try this\" with recommended MinutePhysics, Veritasium, and Vsauce videos on whether anything can exceed it\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eColor, wavelength, and frequency — the visible spectrum, why colored objects appear the colors they do, and where infrared, microwaves, ultraviolet, and x-rays sit on the spectrum\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eReflection — including a classic mirror brainteaser (how tall does a mirror need to be to show your whole reflection?) worked through with the geometry\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSnell's Law of refraction — index of refraction, the vacuum-cleaner-on-carpet analogy for why light bends, and a \"try this\" with the PhET \"Bending Light\" simulation from the University of Colorado\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eElectromagnetic waves — Young's double-slit experiment, the de Broglie equation, the Michelson-Morley experiment, and an introduction to Maxwell's equations and how light propagates through the vacuum of space\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eEight conceptual practice questions with a full answer key\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you'll get\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eEPUB of the book (Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePDF of the book (for any device or for printing)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDelivered by email immediately after purchase, plus available on your download page\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePart of the Fairy Tale Physics series\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach book in the series is self-contained and can be read in any order, though readers of multiple books may notice the same physicists or recurring touches from kingdom to kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSarah Allen tutored math and physics for twenty years before becoming a full-time fantasy writer. 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